Let's Go To Paris
by darveyscactus
Summary: The days and weeks following the end of 8.16, as told through a series of conversations between Donna and her mom.


**HAPPY DARVEY WEEK TEAM! We made it! And to celebrate our favorite couple, I've written my first collab fic with the lovely Sarah (catsballeths on Twitter) A huge thank you to her for agreeing to write this with me and for bringing this story to life.**

* * *

She was no stranger to bad days and weeks at the office. Over the years, she and the firm had seen more than their fair share of them - Coastal Motors, Liberty Rail, Mike's trial, Jessica's disbarment, the list goes on. But the core difference between all of those situations, and what they were facing now, Donna realized, was the fact that those were unavoidable, any fallout within the walls of the firm was the product of an outside trigger. This time, the catalyst for Hardman coming after Harvey was her and her alone.

Which is why she couldn't bear the thought of sitting there watching while he lost his life's work; everything she'd watched him build and work for in the near two decades they'd worked alongside each other. Now though, as she paced back and forth across her living room waiting for news - any news - from the hearing, she was starting to wonder if not going was a worse form of torure.

Finally, she sunk down in the corner of her couch with a defeated sigh, kicking her bare feet up on her coffee table. She'd shed her black suit dress hours ago, right after Thomas left for the hearing, and was now wearing a navy silk jumpsuit and a grey cardigan. She'd considered cracking open the wine as soon as she'd closed the door behind him, but just as she stepped into the kitchen, she heard her mother's voice in her head telling her that 11am was too early to start drinking, no matter how desperate the situation may be.

She thought back to the advice her mom had given her days before, and how, following that conversation she'd been so sure she was making the right decision. The more she thought about it though, the more she realized she'd gotten it all wrong. She'd been so wrapped up in the idea that Thomas could be her 'once in a lifetime' that'd she'd ignored what her mom had said about going with her gut. Because, in her gut she knew that Harvey had never let her down a day in her life, and if only she'd remembered that a bit earlier, the entire situation could have been avoided.

There was a time when she and her mom were barely on speaking terms and in situations like this, she could only imagine the type of advice her mom would give her. She remembered long, lonely nights in a cramped New York studio apartment where all she wanted was to call her mom and complain about her problems, knowing that she'd listen, and then give her the advice she needed to face the morning with a renewed sense of confidence.

Knowing exactly what she needed to make her feel better, at least temporarily, she reached for her phone on the coffee table and dialed the familiar numbers. With another deep breath and a sip of wine - because it was 4pm and now an acceptable time to drink - she waited for an answer.

"Donna bear!" her mom greeted her in her usual chipper voice, her use of a childhood nickname bringing a small smile to her face.

"Hi mom," she replied, letting out a breath. The tone of her voice decidedly less upbeat than that of her mom's.

"I was going to ask how that big decision at work went," her mom explained, "but I'm guessing from the tone of your voice that it didn't go well?"

Donna smiled again and let out a small laugh at her mom's comment - her mother's ability to read people from just a couple of words so much like her own. "That's one way to put it," she admitted, looking down at her hand in her lap fiddling with the hem of her sweater.

"I made the wrong decision, mom," she admitted, pursing her lips as she felt hot tears collecting in the corners of her eyes yet again. "Harvey and the firm could lose everything and it's all my fault," she finished, her voice quivering slightly.

"Donna," her mom rationalized, "from what you've told me, your firm is backed into a corner at least once a year and you're all still standing. I don't doubt this time will be any different, especially with the best COO in the city steering the ship," she finished, which made Donna smile.

"But Harvey," Donna challenged, "I hurt him," she admitted, "what if -," she paused, part of her not even wanting to speak the words into existence, "-what if he never forgives me?"

"I'm not going to say that everything will work out, because I don't know that," her mom admitted, "but Donna bear, you are _so _resilient, you _will _get through this," she assured her, "After all, your track record for surviving days like this is 100%."

"Thanks mom," she said, her mom's words of encouragement bringing a smile to her face. "You know I just," she paused, "I don't make mistakes like this often," she admitted, which made her mom pause. She understood that Donna knew herself so well and absolutely hated it when her mind betrayed her. She'd had a tough year, from almost leaving her job at the firm to Rachel moving away, and now this - and she hated hearing her daughter so sad, so deflated nearly every time they spoke.

"Donna, you know I always things never look so bad in the morning, so go pour yourself another glass of that wine I _know _you have sitting in front of you, take a bath, and get to bed early, Things will look a little better in the morning."

Even though her mom hadn't miraculously solved all her problems, she felt a little better from their short conversation. There was nothing else she could do tonight, but tomorrow she'd go to Harvey and do whatever she needed to apologize to him, and show him she'd always had faith in him.

"I miss you, mom," she said, a small smile starting to creep across her face, "I have a free weekend at the end of the month - what do you say to some girls' time in the City?"

"Donna, I'd love that," she said sincerely, "take it easy tonight and I'll call you this weekend."

* * *

She reached for her ringing phone and plopped herself down on the couch next to her glass of red wine, answering the call. She'd been waiting for her mom to call - she was the type that was always true to her word. Harvey had run out to pick up some food for them, seeing as they had finally run out of things to eat in her apartment. It had been four days since he showed up at her door. Four blissful uninterrupted days filled spent making up for a decade's worth of missed opportunities. As much as she hated to break their little bubble, Harvey would be out for a while so she figured she can spare twenty minutes to take the call from her mom.

"Hi mom, how are you?" she greeted her, smiling into the phone.

"I'm good sweetheart, I was about to ask you the same question. How is everything?"

"Everything is great," she couldn't help herself from gushing even though it made her feel like a lovesick teenager.

"I'm happy for you darling. I'm glad things between you and Thomas worked out but I wonder, and don't hate me for saying this, but what if maybe things weren't meant to work out between you and Thomas?"

It figured her mom would know things weren't right with Thomas without ever having even met the man. _You know what they say_, she thought, _the apple doesn't fall far from the tree_ and Donna knew she was practically a carbon copy of her mother.

"Actually mom, Thomas and I broke up" she admitted into the receiver with a sigh. She knew she was going to have to tell her mom about the breakup, but she'd been so preoccupied with Harvey she hadn't thought about how she wanted to break the news of her new relationship to her mother. Her mom had never been Harveys number one fan and she wanted them to get along and telling her mom about their relationship was the first step.

"But I thought you said everything was good?"

"It _is_ good mom. Everything worked out, just not the way I imagined it would."

"Harvey?" her mom replied - half a question, half a statement.

"Yes. Harvey."

"What changed? Why now?"

"_He_ changed mom. In all the time I've known Harvey he's hardly ever put anything or anyone before his career and then…" she trailed off momentarily before continuing. "He's just been so incredible and caring. I know this sounds like a cliché, but he's changed and he's ready for a real relationship."

She smiled to herself as she spoke, thinking back to the events of the past 72 hours. Falling asleep by his side, waking up in his arms. Getting to kiss his lips whenever she pleased. It was surreal. Every morning since he showed up at her door, she was convinced she would wake up and it would all be a dream; yet she awoke in his arms on Friday morning. Then again Saturday morning, and Sunday morning.

Friday had been a whirlwind. Going back to work after everything that had happened with Thomas, plus trying to keep her new relationship with Harvey on the down low and deal with the immediate fallout of Robert's departure had made for the most stressful day she'd had in years. She thought the day would never end but 6 o'clock finally rolled around and Harvey finally got to take her on their official first date.

Their first date was nothing like she expected. He took her to dinner at an upscale Thai restaurant on the Upper West Side, presumably because she always suggested they order Thai when they had late nights at the office. Dinner was nothing out of the ordinary, in fact it surprised her how natural everything felt. There was no pressure to be something else just because they were on a date, they were simply them and it was enough. He was a perfect gentleman all evening; telling her she looked beautiful when he picked her up with a bouquet of her favorite flowers, opening her car door and pulling out her chair at the restaurant.

The real surprise came after dinner, when he told her he was taking her to their _real_ first date spot and that it was a surprise. She spent the entire car ride nagging him for clues and hoping he would slip up and tell her but by the time the car stopped she still had no idea where he was taking her. Opening her car door, she stepped out of the back seat to see they were at an elementary school. She looked to him for an explanation and he obliged as he led her inside.

"Marcus' kids are in a play and I just thought maybe you'd like it," he blushed.

"But doesn't Marcus live in Boston?" she stared back, confused.

"Katie moved into the city a few months back and the kids came with her" he explained, slipping his fingers between hers as they make their way inside.

"That must be so hard for Marcus…"

"It was, but he's adjusting" he reassured her.

The show was just about to begin so they slip into some vacant seats in the back row, taking he hand in his as the lights dim and the production begins.

They spent Saturday morning strolling through Central Park, arm in arm. He told her a few stories about his dad teaching him to play baseball as they passed some kids playing in the park and she told him why she grew up wanting to be an actress. He surprised her with the fact that he was an excellent cook when he made her dinner and they spent the evening making up for all those times they avoided physical contact with each other.

That morning had been a lazy one and they spent the majority of the day in bed, tangled in a mess of her bedsheets and each other. It was blissful, really, having a lazy day with Harvey Specter.

Her mom clears her throat slightly and the sound on the other end of the line pulls her out of her daydream.

"Oh Donna, sweetheart, are you sure you're not just seeing those things because that's the way you've always wanted him to be? I understand that grand gestures are romantic, but I would hate to see you get hurt because you've painted yourself a picture of a man that doesn't exist."

"You don't understand, everything is different now" Donna explained, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"If you're sure," her mom sighed in response.

"You always tell me to go after what will make me happy, and the one time I'm finally happy you aren't even happy for me?!" Donna snapped back.

"Donna, I _am_ happy for you. But I wouldn't be your mom if I didn't tell you to be careful. I know you care about him, but I also know how much he's hurt you in the past and I don't want to see that happen again."

"You didn't even give him a chance! Harvey has always been there for me! He saved me from going to prison and he was there when Stephen turned out to be a monster!"

"Donna, I didn't mean-"

"Forget it mom, I've got to go," she said, cutting her off before she could finish and tossing the phone to the other end of the couch.

* * *

Donna let out a long exhale as she sank back into the couch. She was so focused on releasing the tension that the call with her mom had just caused that she hadn't even noticed Harvey arrive back at her apartment, bags of takeout in hand.

"Who was that?" he asked, unpacking the food and laying it out on the coffee table in front of them.

"My mom," she replied, letting out another sigh, and Harvey was easily able to pick up on the slight exasperation in her voice.

"What were you talking about?" he asked carefully. Aside from one dinner party years ago, Harvey didn't know much about Donna's mom, or their relationship, and in asking questions about their conversation he wasn't sure if he was about to open a can of worms.

"You, actually," she admitted, turning to face him slightly.

"And why do I get the feeling that it wasn't a good conversation?" he inquired.

"It's not that exactly," Donna explained, "she has her opinions and is very-," she paused, searching for the right word, "-spirited about them," she finished with a sigh and a small smile.

"Well, pot, kettle," he said with a laugh, lightly bumping her knee with his own.

His response had the desired effect as she let out a laugh and cracked half a smile. He could tell whatever they'd talked about was still bothering her though, and he repositioned them on the couch so that she was sitting in between his outstretched legs with her back resting against his chest, his arms pulling her closer to him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, his fingers tracing lazy patterns over her forearms.

Donna let out a deep breath and a long sigh before saying anything. She knew that Harvey knew more than his fair share about having a complicated relationship with a parent, but the complications in her case were so different. There were lingering resentments on both sides - from the Paris trip that never was to Donna's more than forgiving nature when it came to her father - but there was no one cause of the tension in their relationship like there had been between Harvey and Lily.

"It's complicated," she started to explain, "we fought all the time when I was a teenager and it was usually over nonsense - like what color to paint my bedroom walls or my aunt picking me up from school on nights my mom had to work late - but the fights almost always turned into these big, epic showdowns because we're so similar we can get under each other's skin so easily," she admitted.

She paused, and Harvey didn't say anything right away, content to sit in comfortable silence for a couple seconds. A small smile spread across his face as she talked, absorbing her every word as he learned something new about the woman in his arms. He'd learned things that he didn't even know he didn't know about her in the 72 hours they'd spent together and it wasn't lost on him that this was what the rest of his life would be. Him learning new and mundane details about what made her _her _and just the thought of it made him smile even wider.

"We don't fight nearly as often now, and she gives the best advice of anyone I know," she continued, "but it's always in the back of my mind that she's about to disagree with me about something and when she does, and I let her get under my skin, I snap at her like I'm fourteen again and living in that god awful apartment in Hartford," she admitted, somewhat embarrassed about it.

Harvey shifted their position again so he's facing her. Even though she didn't divulge the specifics, he can tell that she's still bothered, and that she's more stressed out than upset by it.

"Look," he started, using the thumb and forefinger of one hand to lift her chin so that her eyes were level with his while the other hand tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "I know a thing or two about fighting with your mom. And I'm not saying this is anything like that," he continued, "but you should fix it before you can't go back," he finished.

She didn't respond immediately and she felt a couple tears forming in the corners of her eyes, brought on both by the frustrating conversation with her mom and Harvey's surprising and comforting words.

"When did you get so good at the comfort thing?" she breathed, her comment bringing a smile to both of their faces.

"I told you I was going to be the best boyfriend you've ever had," he said, just a hint of smugness in his voice.

His response made her smile even wider and she couldn't resist pulling him for a quick kiss.

When they separated his hands lingered on her cheeks. "Call her back," he said quietly, "schedule that girls' weekend you talked about," he finished, before pulling her back in and kissing her forehead.

* * *

Taking Harvey's advice, Donna set up a spa day with her mom the following weekend. The phone call with her mom had been short and sweet, neither saying much other than what time and place they would be meeting. She knew they needed to talk about their argument, but she didn't want to be the one to bring it up.

The morning at the spa was filled with small talk about her mom's book club and how Donna was enjoying her roll as the firm's COO, but the more time that passed without Harvey's name being brought up, the more anxious Donna was beginning to feel.

Breaking the silence between them as they got their nails done, Donna's mom turns to her daughter, "tell me about Thomas…"

"Thomas?"

"Yes, you didn't tell me much about him," her mom clarified, smiling softly.

Donna drew in a breath and let out a small sigh before speaking, "honestly mom, he was the perfect man, or at least he should've been. He was smart and funny and had a quick wit. I feel like you would've really liked him. He was handsome and treated me well and honestly, if we'd have met years ago…," she paused, hopeful her mom would be able to fill in the blank.

"If you'd met before you were already in love with someone else," her mom finished, picking up where she left off, which made Donna smile in response.

"How long has he had it?"

"How long has who had what?" she questioned, staring back at her mom.

"Harvey, how long has he had your heart?"

"It's always been Harvey, Mom. It may have taken him a while to say it, but he's been showing me how he loves me for years. He's the first person I want to run to when I have good news, the only person I want on my side when I'm in trouble. I know that you think I've been pining after him and that he doesn't deserve me because you think I've put my life on hold for him in the past, but if I had to do it all over again Mom, I would. He would have never asked me to put my life on hold for him, that was my decision. For years I wondered what it would be like to be loved by him, and to get to love him and he makes me feel like I'm the only person on the planet that matters. He is supportive of my career and he treats me well. These past few weeks have been incredible Mom. I've seen a whole new side of him and he's the most caring, loving man and I just know that if you give him another chance, you'll see what I see" Donna gushes.

"Is he the one?" she asked, smiling at her daughter and placing a hand over Donna's, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Do you remember that time you and I were supposed to go to Paris? And it was all I could think about for months? It was my first thought every morning and my last thought every night. It was going to be my first big trip and I felt accomplished. Like I was on top of the world and there was nothing that could stop me. I may have been just a naive kid back then, but I never forgot that euphoric feeling. Being with Harvey, I finally have that feeling again," Donna paused to look at her mom, hoping she'd understand how genuinely she felt everything she'd just said.

"He's my Paris, Mom."

* * *

"She'd had it for no less than two weeks, and one day I walk in the front door just in time to see her throw the violin halfway across the room, shattering the poor thing into a million pieces. All because she was frustrated she couldn't get the finger placements right!"

"I was _eight_, Mom!" Donna countered in an attempt to rationalize the hot-headed behavior of her younger self.

"Which is why," her mom continued, paying no mind to Donna's interruption, "her father and I decided to start her on the piano instead. Much harder for her to break," her mom finished with a smile and a satisfied nod.

After their spa appointments finished for the day, Donna and her mom met Harvey for dinner at a restaurant recommended by one of her mom's book club friends. Donna had been apprehensive about the dinner for days but, as the waiter cleared away their entrees and set dessert in front of them, she finally let out a sigh of relief with how well the evening had gone. She knew Harvey could charm the stripes off a zebra, given all the practice he had winning over difficult clients, but she could tell by the way he was acting that nothing about his demeanor was faked; he was relaxed and genuinely enjoying himself. The same could be said for her mom, too. Sure, she'd been apprehensive initially, but as the meal progressed, she too began to relax.

Harvey and Donna's mom had spent most of the evening trading stories about Donna - her mom regaling him with stories from her youth while Harvey touted her professional accomplishments both small and large.

Throughout dinner, Donna's mom noticed it wasn't just the way he looked at her - like she hung the moon - but the way he talked about her too. He'd explained his entire career to her in terms of milestones they'd accomplished together - from leaving the DA's office, becoming partner, and signing specific clients to his name going on the wall and getting Mike out of jail, he highlighted the guidance she provided him throughout.

And Donna looked at him the same way - like he cured cancer and put an end to global warming all in one evening. She noticed the slight blush that rose to cheeks when he complimented her, the way she looked at him when he wasn't looking. The way they finished each other's sentences and picked up on each other's train of thought.

It all made sense to her, finally, why it'd never worked out with anyone else Donna had been with - Mark, Mitchell, that boring but very wealthy architect she'd dated on and off for a year. Because as great as each of them had been, she realized, from the moment she met him - whether Donna had been aware of it or not - no one held a candle to Harvey Specter. She'd seen something between them years ago when Donna had thrown that dinner party, but seeing them now, after everything they'd gone through, that connection had grown stronger. She'd never seen a couple more in synch than the two of them, and if someone had told her they'd been together for years rather than weeks, she'd have believed it immediately. Because, as she learned throughout dinner, in a lot of ways they had.

On their way out of the restaurant, Donna excused herself to go to the bathroom. As soon as she was out of sight, her mom turned to Harvey.

"Harvey, tonight was lovely, I really mean that. But just one thing -," she paused, locking eyes with him to make sure she had his full attention.

"Yes?"

"You hurt her, I'll kill you," she finished.

"That's funny," he started, a small smile appearing on his face, "your daughter made a similar threat," he explained, which made her smile in response. "But I wouldn't dare," he added sincerely, "you have my word on that."

* * *

Nearly a year to the day since Donna had first introduced Harvey to her mom as her boyfriend she found herself on the phone with her again. Reclined on the couch in their new townhouse she was excitingly detailing the anniversary trip he'd surprised her with that morning. Both women knew how hard it was to catch Donna off guard, so the fact that Harvey had been able to plan an entire weekend trip to vineyards in the Finger Lakes without her knowledge genuinely impressed her mom.

Just as she was about to wrap up the call, Donna heard Harvey come through the front door and make his way into the living room. Wordlessly, he greeted her with a kiss to the top of her head before landing on the couch beside her.

"Before you hang up can I talk to her for a second?" he asked, gesturing to the phone, "I want to get her opinion on something," he explained.

Smirking at him, she pulled the phone away from her ear and covered the receiver with her hand before speaking. "Shouldn't you be getting _Rachel's _opinion on _something_?" she whispered back at him, rolling her eyes slightly before saying goodbye to her mom and passing him the phone.

"Who says I haven't?" he sassed back at her before dismissing her from the room with a flick of his hand.

**Thanks for reading, and as always please leave a review with your thoughts! And don't forget to leave some love with my lovely co-author Sarah (and read her fics, because they're to die for)**


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